Set-top boxes (STB) are commonly used to connect televisions to cable systems. Because the way consumers are using everyday appliances such as television is changing, cable companies have been trying to deliver additional services-such as online shopping, weather forecasts, and advertising over existing cable connections. These new services typically include interfacing with public data communications networks such as the Internet. While a traditional cable-only STB was simple in design, delivery of such new services requires more sophisticated STBs.
Hardware suppliers such as IBM have developed integrated chip designs that provide many components of a digital STB on a single chip. Such integrated chip designs are an example of a new trend called “pervasive computing,” whereby computing power as well as Internet access is designed into a wide range of business and consumer devices.
While integration of cable television systems with the Internet has been progressing, there has arisen another need to harmonize these systems with the Public Switched Telephone Network. In particular, the acquisition of cable TV service providers such as Tele-Communications, Inc. by traditional telecommunications services providers such as AT&T has identified a need to integrate the existing PSTN infrastructure with the cable TV systems so as to deliver television, telephone, and Internet access services from a single integrated STB, preferably in a cost-effective manner.
There is also a need for an STM that can provide several consumer choice-driven services such as those typically provided by an operating telephone company. Examples of such services include Automatic Number Identification (ANI)-based services such as personal dialing plans, dialing restrictions to area codes, local numbers, speed dial codes and others. Traditionally, these services have been offered by local and some long distance telephone companies as switch-based services. If these customer-chosen selections were stored and made use of on a customer premise equipment such as an STB, the customer would enjoy a more portable solution. Additionally, providing these services on an STB would enable competing carriers such as cable operators to provide such services without the need to access the incumbent carrier's switching databases and translations. Accordingly, there is a need for such a method and apparatus.